Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Happy Birthday, Baby ❯ As a Memory Fades, Passion Begins to Burn ( Chapter 3 )

Title: Happy Birthday, Baby [part 3/6]

Book 2 of the "Encounters Arc"

Author: Enigma

Series: Saiyuki

Written: September - October, 2002

Rating: NC-17

Main Pairing: (Gojyo x Hakkai)

Category: Yaoi, Romance, Angst, Lemons, Sap. AU-OOC.

Archive: mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"]

Warnings: yaoi, very sweet romance, midlevel angst, multiple graphic and highly detailed lemons as well as numerous mini-citrus explosions (including manual, oral, *and* anal sex scenes), a major role for a little white dragon, coarse language as per the anime, transient animal injuries, sap, and tiny hints of humor. AU-OOC.

Spoilers: This story is set between episodes 7 & 8 of the anime and contains minor spoilers for several incidents that occurred prior to the group's first encounter with Chin Iisou as well as the Gaiden era plus events I assume took place before the beginning of the journey west. There are also a few spoilers for "Fateful Encounters" after chapter 21, but they are negligible.

Disclaimer: "Saiyuki" is the property of Kazuya Minekura, et al. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; please do not sue me.

Lemon Disclaimer: Kindly note that in the Real World, "safe" sex should be practiced at all times. However, this is an "Enigma Yaoi Romance Lemon" and all bishounen in question are hence magically protected against the dangers of sexually transmissible diseases, therefore they can skip the condoms -- and they know it!

Advisory: Whenever dialogue is written in all lowercase letters, it is to be read as if it is spoken very softly, possibly in a whisper, a gasp, or in a tone not meant to be heard by those nearby.

Notes: After living together for over three years, Gojyo wants to finally give Hakkai the ultimate pleasure on his birthday, but while searching for him to do so, he recalls vividly another tasty first from his own birthday that changed their lives forever.

{{flashback delineators}}

*****

When awareness of place and time returned to the sated couple, Gojyo found himself with his cheek resting against a sweaty thigh and a trembling hand gently caressing the side of his face.

Glancing at the beautiful man who was offering him the most heart-meltingly sweet smile of satiation he'd ever seen on a sex partner, the half-breed asked in a tired voice, "Well? How was that, baby?" When no answer was immediately forthcoming due to the fact that his beloved roommate was too overwhelmed to speak yet, he added nervously, "I hope I didn't hurt you or nothing, 'Kai. I've never done that to a guy before, but I kinda thought I knew what I was doing."

Realizing he needed to reassure the wonderful man who had just taken him places he'd never even dreamed existed, Hakkai answered with exhausted enthusiasm, "Oh, Gojyo, it was marvelous! You didn't hurt me, far from it." Running a tired hand over his eyes he admitted, "I've never felt anything like that. Gods, it was so intense!" The burst of energy he'd felt when his cherished partner began seducing him was fading and the tiredness left behind after healing the panda cub was beginning to return as evidenced by a small yawn he barely suppressed.

Pleased as well as relieved, the crimson-haired man smiled to himself and replied, "Good, I'm really glad to hear it, baby. It was pretty damned grand for me, too." Noting that his partner was far too exhausted to move much, he got off of the bed stiffly and went about the usual process of getting out of cum-sticky clothes and cleaning himself up before slipping on loose sweatpants to sleep in.

Soon, Gojyo returned to the bed to offer his friend a quick kiss that tasted only vaguely of their shared adventure, then passed a warm, moist cloth over Hakkai's sweaty skin, cleansing and relaxing him tenderly prior to helping him, too, into more comfortable sleeping attire. As he aided the now yawning man, he recalled some of the nicer moments of Gonou's recovery period and he reflected absently that he truly missed some of the small things enjoyed in their mostly peaceful first month together two years in the past.

After giving the now terribly dirty and decidedly aromatic bed a smirk, Gojyo shrugged slightly then said softly, "c'mere, you adorable, sleepy bishounen you!" Without allowing Hakkai even a moment to comprehend what he meant, the taller of the two slipped his arms under the shorter one, cradling him close before taking him over to his own untouched bed for the night.

Getting them both settled while studiously ignoring the renewed blush on his very drowsy friend's face, Gojyo contemplated in the back of his mind how much longer they would bother with the two twin beds which he rather hoped might be replaced with a double before long. Gonou himself had noted it long before his roommate had caught on that sleeping close to someone you cared about could make the world seem so much better, dreams were sweeter, and waking up to a gentle smile was the finest thing he could imagine.

Once they were both comfortable, Gojyo turned out the light and then pulled Hakkai into his strong arms once more, encircling him warmly before whispering tenderly, "thank you for my birthday present, 'kai. it was the best thing anyone's ever given me."

With a yawn that he couldn't suppress now that his earlier exhaustion combined with the heady sleepiness of perfect release had washed over him, Hakkai smiled in return and replied equally softly, "you're welcome, gojyo. i only hope that we won't have to wait until next september to do that again, though."

"'next september'?" Gojyo asked in confusion then answered his own question, "oh, right! that's when *your* birthday is, right, baby?"

Nodding as he yawned and couldn't speak, Hakkai felt his eyes drifting closed in spite of his desires to talk more during the lovely post-orgasmic moment. However, before he could allow slumber to take him, he forced his eyelids to open and as he gazed at eyes the color of sunset that were filled with profound adoration, he asked softly, "um, gojyo? does this mean we're not friends any more?"

Startled since this wasn't anything he was ready for in the least, Gojyo responded uncertainly, "i don't know what you mean, 'kai. why can't we still be friends, baby?"

Thin brown eyebrows needled together for a moment as the former teacher tried to choose his words wisely, then Hakkai said quietly, "ah, forgive me, i misspoke. of course we can still be friends, gojyo, it just seems to me that now we're that and more. not just partners like we have been for the last couple of years, sharing everything including sex recently, but if we made love together finally, doesn't that make us 'lovers' now?"

Sensual lips parting in a smile as warm and wonderful as it could possibly be because he now did indeed have the right to proclaim this exquisite man far more than a friend, Gojyo answered quietly, "yes, i think so, too. i'd be more than honored to be able to call you my lover, 'kai, but for now, i think that's a privilege that i'd rather keep private." The man snuggled close to him nodded in agreement amidst more yawns and he added with a grateful sigh, "except for tonpu. i wanna tell him, if that's okay with you, baby."

Without reservation despite not being aware of the reason why such a sharing seemed necessary to the man he loved, Hakkai nodded again and felt himself drifting towards sleep safely pressed against the well muscled, bare chest of his bedmate. Soon enough, he too would begin to consult their blue-haired friend for advice on intimate matters but that was for later, now was the time for much needed rest.

Finger-combing the mussed chocolate silk hair he'd enjoyed playing with for over two years as well as throughout most of a prior lifetime, Gojyo smiled in the darkness then pressed a kiss to the sleeping man's forehead and whispered softly, "rest well, lover." Then exceptionally long eyelashes drifted shut as he, too, sank towards slumber with an incredibly pleased expression on his face that had far more to do with the wealth of emotions they'd shared than it did with the act of passion that had occurred between them.

{{end flashback}}

After that astounding night, the couple spent months becoming more and more deeply committed to one another and despite the fact that it had been a birthday the first time they experienced fellatio together, neither wanted to put off another crucial first that awaited the healer. On a sultry summer night, Hakkai had lost the penultimate aspect of his virginity to Gojyo but the act of claiming the brunette had not gone as easily or turned out as well as what had occurred in November.

The crimson-haired man's sheer size and inexperience with preparing a male lover to receive him as opposed to a female one hadn't been the only causes of their dramatic and tear-filled failure. The small apartment had been a guilt-laden place for days afterwards, each man blaming himself until someone else put an end to their distance from one another which reminded them that they belonged together and that things would improve eventually.

After that, both men tried not to dwell on what had happened in June, preferring instead to work towards a drastically improved repeat performance at a later date.

The dominant member of the couple became adept at the act of preparation whereas his devoted and quite willing submissive partner would learn a few tricks from Tonpu of his own that would allow him to relax more and be less nervous and tense. Granted, both youkai were surprised when it turned out that the brunette found the sensation of being filled by either fingers or other substitutes for his lover's too large arousal quite enjoyable and more than enough to achieve release on a regular basis. But as one might well imagine, such satisfaction couldn't be considered sufficient forever.

Their diligence was paying handsome rewards and despite being quite fond of sharing these attentions as well as oral ones, the couple had been happily on the cusp of the full merger they both wanted when their quiet homelife was shattered yet again by the demands of the Sanbutusin.

On the selfsame August day when word arrived that Sanzo and Goku needed themselves as well as Hakuryu to meet them for an epic journey west, Hakkai and Gojyo had made plans for an elegant dinner which would be followed by a hopefully mind-blowing romantic encounter. Alas, it was not meant to be and instead the three housemates packed what little they needed, locked their front door, and left their home behind for an unknown period of time. [1]

In the months of travel that had followed, the couple had sought privacy as often as they could, returning to the practices they'd shared in the past such as trading intimate kisses and embraces yet never attempting the ultimate act again.

A mere week prior to Hakkai's birthday, the terrifying conflict with a deranged man from Sanzo's past, however, very nearly cost the antisocial priest his life and in the process of saving him, Gojyo and Hakkai, too, had been reminded of their own mortality. If Kanzeon bosatsu herself hadn't stepped in when she was needed most, it was entirely likely that the unrestrained power of Son Goku in his true form would have killed them all. As it was, the healer's abilities had been pushed to their limits in repairing the blonde's ravaged abdomen and only the mystical blood transfusion from Gojyo had spared Sanzo's life.

Acknowledging that neither of them would live forever and that if they were to be sure not to miss a chance to create a treasured memory, the couple had agreed that on Hakkai's birthday they would try again to consummate their relationship hopefully without pain or regrets. This decision was firmly in Gojyo's mind as his awareness returned to the present time and he blinked for a moment while refocusing on the scene around him.

After glancing around the inn's dining area which stubbornly remained unoccupied, the lanky man shrugged slightly, shoved his hands into his pockets, and proceeded to saunter casually towards the door in search of his lover. When his fingertips brushed the cool metal skin of the small tube he'd wisely brought with him, Gojyo silently promised himself that he'd make sure Hakkai would remember the day that he turned twenty-three with nothing but joy and happiness.

Whistling quietly to himself, the half-breed's long legs carried him out into the early morning sunshine and as he began a slow circuit around the area surrounding the small inn he was totally ignorant of the weight of sad amber eyes gazing at him from a second story window.

With a soft sob, Goku wiped a tear from one huge eye and then glanced at the slumbering form of his guardian almost wistfully before crawling back under his covers. There was nothing to indicate what was on the young youkai's mind at first, but as he drifted towards slumber, he mumbled quietly, "i wish things were different."

Sniffling quietly to himself as ghosts of dreams began to eddy about him, Goku mourned how lonely Sanzo seemed to have been recently. His violet-eyed friend had been deeply changed after the incident with Syuei, a man whom he had known and cared for enough while only a teenager that he'd given him his most precious possession. Being forced to kill the insane, talisman-controlled murderer Rikudou whom the monk had metamorphosed into had shaken the ordinarily aloof priest.

While recovering from his dire wounds, Sanzo had become acutely aware of the relationship forged between the two men who had been housemates for three years and there was now a low sense of sad, discontentment emanating from the blond which Goku's unearthly senses detected. The teen truly didn't know the depth of the relationship which had blossomed between Gojyo and Hakkai but he did realize that after being alone together, the other two youkai seemed happier, more at ease, and this was what he wished Sanzo could partake of as well. He truly doubted that the man who had rescued him from his stone prison had felt honestly happy in years and was possibly incapable of achieving that desirable state any longer, yet if the pall could be lifted at least a little, that would be so much better.

With a sigh as he allowed the dream realm to carry him away, Goku tried to stop worrying about Sanzo's happiness and concentrated on his own instead.

Deep in the safety of slumber's embrace, a much younger version of himself encountered a cherished friend, another boy with golden eyes with whom he could romp and play to his heart's content. The companion he wrongly assumed to be nothing more than a phantasm created by his imagination was in truth someone very dear to him from half a millennium prior. Perhaps if Goku had known his special friend from the past was now lost in a state of suspended animation, he might have actively sought a way to reawaken him, but as long as he remained ignorant of Nataku's existence he would only get to see him in his dreams.

The sounds of sleep then filled the bedroom anew. While two of Kanzeon bosatsu's chosen warriors rested unawares, far below one of their comrades was becoming agitated and more than a little worried about a fourth even as he forgot to take into account the fifth member of their group.

Glaring at the narrow streets surrounding the inn where the buildings crowded together and let nothing of nature have space, Gojyo snarled angrily, "I swear on Sanzo's fucking *gun* that if some damned youkai have dared to interfere with *my* lover I will send them straight to *hell*!!"

Various frightening and too familiar scenarios presented themselves to the crimson-haired man's mind and as he became even more worried, his pace increased. Before long, Gojyo was running through town looking everywhere for Hakkai. When his weapon materialized in his hand automatically, he didn't even notice it, merely clung to it for reassurance that he would be ready for anything and kept hunting.

The troubled half-breed had no luck whatsoever, though, and the sun crept higher above him as if mocking the couple's romantic plans and it was all Gojyo could do to keep from screaming his frustration and waking all those sleeping nearby. It was a torturous though brief time and all he could do was search and pray that things weren't as bad as his imagination was telling him that they could be.

*****

Quite a distance from the claustrophobic conditions of the area surrounding the inn and utterly unaware that someone was looking for at least one of them, a pair of unique beings stood together in warm sunlight.

Reaching up to fondly caress a lengthy, fur-covered neck, Hakkai remarked quietly, "Does this field suit you, Hakuryu?" He gazed at the low growing wildflowers and grass that surrounded them as well as a lush stand of broad-leafed and evergreen trees nearby that seemed to glisten in the early morning sunshine. The soft musical tinkle of water playing across stones reached his ears as well, yet he didn't actually seek out the location of the small stream it hinted at.

Shrugging its wings slightly, the dragon on his shoulder remarked, "Kyu," to indicate that this was more then sufficient.

"Very well then. Aloft with you, my friend!" Hakkai laughed lightly and brushed the creature from him noting with gratitude how odd it was that the long, sharp talons on its feet never once so much as snagged on the pale lavender sash that he wore from shoulder to hip. He'd seen the magical beast use its claws in battle a time or two and he knew from firsthand observation that the fierce talons could easily shred skin and muscle, so it was even more amazing that the delicate silk remained unharmed by them.

Wrapping his arms tightly around himself as if cold, Hakkai remained where he was, face lifted to the sky and lost in thought amidst the beauty of nature with his cherished snow-white companion flying overhead.

"Kyu!!" Hakuryu cried out in joy as it felt the wind caressing and lifting it up into the air like one of the mighty dragons of legend. For too long it had played the role of obedient vehicle, keeping its tires on the rough earth and carrying the four men farther west everyday without complaint, yet now it delighted in the freedom of the skies. As it dove then rose high only to dive once more, it sang out ecstatically, "KYU!!!"

Verdant eyes were unfocused as the inexplicable being's dearest friend simply stood in place, temporarily lost in reverie. Hakkai's thoughts centered around the conversations he and Gojyo had had while Sanzo recently lay unconscious and recovering from injuries he himself had healed and with a sad sigh, he admitted that he doubted the sensual birthday celebration planned at the time would come to pass. There weren't any unoccupied rooms in the inn and he wasn't about to make love in the same one that they had shared with Goku and Sanzo for fear their friends might walk in on them.

Heaving a heavy sigh, the despondent man let his eyes slip shut and he silently reviewed some of the many "practice" sessions that he and Gojyo had shared as they had worked towards a physical merger that would be satisfying to them both. His lower body literally ached with emptiness. When a desire to be filled even if only by long, capable fingers overcame him, Hakkai clutched the sides of his shirt all the harder, hugging himself almost brutally and hoping not to lose control enough to actually express his frustration and need aloud.

Since Hakkai's eyes were closed at the moment, he completely missed it when the alabaster figure darting about in the sky suddenly changed directions and sped back towards the village they were currently staying in. Hakuryu's keen eyesight had caught the flash of sun on a familiar weapon bearing a scythe at one end and a blade at the other. With fear that there was trouble afoot, it dove towards Gojyo calling to him worriedly, "Kyu?!"

Having run from the confines of the numerous buildings and into the open area unexpectedly, Gojyo was astounded by the dragon's presence and he reached out his free arm as if a falconer commanding his bird to him as he answered, "Oi, Hakuryu! Is Hakkai with you?! Is he okay?!"

Landing gracefully, the dragon peered at Gojyo and nodded back in the direction it had just come from while inquiring concernedly, "Kyu?!"

Breathing a deep sigh of relief, Gojyo willed the weapon back into nonexistence and then scratched the little creature's neck fondly as he said, "Wow, that's a load off my mind! I was afraid he was in some kind of trouble!"

Shaking its head from side to side in negation, the snowy creature inquired again, "Kyu?"

Distracted by thoughts of the gorgeous man who was blissfully unaware of his presence, Gojyo answered absently, "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine, Hakuryu. No need to worry." After chuckling softly in amusement at what his own overactive imagination had conjured up to frighten himself with, he then added, "Say, pal, think you could go keep him occupied so I can sneak up on him?"

Eyes like highly polished garnet chips narrowed slightly and Hakuryu was about to make its policy against practical jokes clear, but as soon as it saw the look of raw love in Gojyo's eyes, it thought better of it. With a soft noise of agreement, it took wing once more and was careful to circle around the introspective healer at a fair distance before singing out loudly, "Kyu!!"

Snapped from his reverie by the playful call of his friend whom he assumed had found an interesting rodent or other distraction nearby, Hakkai answered, "Did you find something fun, Hakuryu? Another white mouse perhaps?" The dragon had an odd fascination with any animal that was an albino since it resembled one itself, and he recalled that one had been uncovered several weeks prior in a similar early morning flight.

"Kyu," the magical creature answered negatively, shaking its head even as it looped and dove, creating an intricate three-dimensional dance in midair for his entertainment.

Clapping his hands together in polite applause for the performance, Hakkai was about to compliment the dragon on the dazzling aerial feats yet found himself suddenly trapped in strong arms around his waist as a beloved voice near his cuff-adorned ear murmured lovingly, "Happy birthday, baby!"

"Gojyo!!" Hakkai exclaimed in delight, wanting to turn and face his lover yet finding himself lightly restrained, a sensation that was not altogether unpleasant. Leaning back and resting heavily against the now chuckling half-breed, he warned, "Don't sneak up on me like that! If I hadn't been distracted by Hakuryu's flight, I might've mistaken you for an enemy and blasted you with a ki attack!"

The taller man continued to laugh softly as he explained, "Ah, and that is exactly *why* it was distracting you, lover. So we could be together and enjoy a bit of freedom from the others." While nibbling lightly on the ear he'd been speaking into, he added hopefully, "And possibly celebrate your birthday, too, if you'd like to, 'Kai."

A shiver ran through Hakkai's frame and he moaned slightly in spite of himself as he asked, "Truly?" As the insistent ache deep within himself reminded him of his earlier thoughts along these lines, he added, "But how? Where?"

Deeply gratified by the eagerness in his partner's voice, Gojyo glanced around immediately sizing up the nearby copse of trees and wondering if it would provide sufficient privacy for them if they dared to be so bold as to make love under the brilliant azure sky. He was about to recommend that they at least investigate this attractive option when he, too, heard the sounds of a stream flowing close by.

After giving his lover one last warm hug from behind, along with a rather unsubtle caress of hips against buttocks to wordlessly inform Hakkai that he was already becoming aroused, Gojyo moved to stand beside him and took his partner's hand in his own. He brought it to his lips, dropping a kiss to the sensitive palm before saying, "Ever make love outdoors before, baby?"

Not fighting the instinctual blush that only lightly colored his pale cheeks, the brunette shook his head and then corrected gently, "You know that *we* haven't done that, Gojyo." Processing the information more fully and suddenly flushing far more deeply, he reached up and stroked a scarred cheek fondly as he asked very softly as if fearing he might break the moment with his words, "do you mean to try to accomplish what we'd hoped for, gojyo? here? really?"

Voice equally soft and filled with an almost desperate tone, Gojyo responded, "yes. if you still want to, that is."

"gods, of course i do!" Hakkai whispered back and felt himself becoming aroused just thinking about the sensations they hadn't had enough time to enjoy fully in far too long as well as the possibility of finally attaining the goal they'd sought to achieve since June.

Cupping the shorter man's face in one warm hand and drawing him close for a passionate kiss, Gojyo silently renewed his vow to make the day a memorable one for his lover by drawing upon every bit of knowledge they'd accumulated to make their coming union nothing short of phenomenal.

As the two men explored one another's mouths eagerly, above them a milky-white figure soared jubilantly, filled with a gladness and hope that it could never fully express with its one word vocabulary.

Hakuryu had been almost as devastated as the couple had been when their initial foray into true intercourse had ended disastrously. The soul within the dragon knew the two ill-fated lovers from half a millennium prior could never reunite properly unless their physical merger could be accomplished as fully as possible and it had wept silent, shimmering tears even as similar salty drops had fallen from emerald and ruby eyes. Now, however, it was more than delighted to know that perhaps the current incarnations of Tenpou and Kenren might indeed come together as one and it sang its joy far too high above them to disturb their increasingly heated embrace.

When the need to breathe ended the impassioned kiss, Gojyo once more rubbed his hips against those of his lover, eliciting a groan from both of them as hardness encountered hardness and it was quite clear that they needed to find some privacy as soon as possible.

Stepping back to force himself to not give in to the desire to grope the brunette right there in the open field, the scarlet-eyed man laughed and pulled Hakkai by the hand towards the trees, saying, "C'mon, lover! Let's go see if there's any place by that stream where we can have some fun!"

Laughing in return since it seemed the only logical thing he could do under the circumstances, Hakkai allowed the totally uncharacteristic hand holding to continue and he followed eagerly even as a flash of white shot past them heading in the same direction. There wasn't any reason for him to wonder what the little magical creature was doing since Hakuryu had always made it perfectly clear that it knew what intimate things its housemates were doing together and endorsed them fully.

Searching along the banks of the sparkling brook for a place large enough and comfortable enough to suit its friends' needs, the dragon found exactly what it wanted in a small clearing formed around the spring that was the source of the stream. With a happy cry, it flew back to the couple and urged brightly, "Kyu! Kyu!!"

"Oh? You've found the perfect spot, Hakuryu?" Hakkai asked with a grateful smile.

"Kyu!" It agreed with a nod and then tugged lightly at Gojyo's blue vest with its mouth, insistent that the one it knew was in charge of such things hurry up before the familiar voice of a surly priest or a high-spirited boy might interfere with the morning's celebration.

"Hey! Watch the threads, dragon!" Gojyo laughed while gazing at the creature who readily released the fabric and fluttered around impatiently while apparently smirking at him. Then, with a deeply appreciative smile on his face, he commanded, "Lead on, MacDuff!"

"Kyu!" Hakuryu acknowledged and flew off indicating the quickest route to the grassy spot it had selected for its friends.

Lifting an eyebrow inquiringly as they followed the dragon, the former teacher asked, "You've read Shakespeare, Gojyo?"

Shrugging and feeling rather glad to have the distraction as they moved quickly between the trees that did indeed provide wonderful protection from spying eyes, the gambler responded, "Yeah, weird, ain't it?" Gojyo fought a sudden, brief wave of sadness as he recalled reading "MacBeth" as a schoolboy before his mother's death had put an end to his formal education. Happily, the presence of the wonderful person whose hand he clasped warmly cheered him immediately and he added with a knowing smile, "When you want some serious angst you can't go wrong with the Bard, now can you?"

"True, very true," Hakkai agreed with a nod. As they stepped past the trees and into the sunlight dappled area surrounding the bubbling spring that carried icy water up from an aquifer deep inside the earth, he paused and gasped quietly, "Oh my. How incredibly lovely."

Gojyo was all smiles as he, too, surveyed the place their housemate had discovered for their tryst and then, mischief lighting his flame red eyes, he turned towards his lover and remarked, "Yes, you are, babe!" Gesturing towards the peaceful glade with his head, he added, "And this little slice of heaven isn't bad either!"

"Gojyo!" Hakkai exclaimed as his cheeks warmed. Realizing this sense of humor was just one of the infinite number of things he adored about this marvelous man, he chuckled and sighed happily, "You're incorrigible."

"Yup, and unrepentant about it, too!" The half-breed grinned as he called out, "Good work, Hakuryu! This is perfect!"

Seeming to smile brightly, the dragon nodded its head and accepted the commendation with a delighted, "Kyu!"

After darting over to the spring and sipping some of the deliciously chilled water, it returned to the men and alighted on Hakkai's shoulder briefly. Making little noises of contentment and affection, it rubbed its soft head against its friend's neck as if trying to say that it hoped all went well. When Gojyo joined them by wrapping an arm around Hakkai's waist and pulled him close with the dragon between them, it extended its long neck and offered the half-breed the same fond gesture.

"Yeah, we love you, too, Hakuryu," Gojyo said with a tender smile even as Hakkai reached up to stroke the little thing's belly fondly. With a pointed glance at the sun as a reminder to them all that there wasn't unlimited time for the intimate rendezvous that was in the offing, he added, "But right now, why don't you head back and keep track of the monkey and Mr. Bad Attitude for a bit? It would really suck if they showed up here looking for us."

"This is quite true," Hakkai agreed with a frown since he correctly assumed that there was nothing left behind in the bedroom they'd all shared to assure their traveling companions that their absence was nothing to worry over.

After nodding its head in agreement, Hakuryu nuzzled them both one last time before taking wing. As it circled over them as if in benediction, it called encouragingly, "Kyu!" Then the inexplicable being flew away, disappearing into the lush greenery almost instantaneously.

Moving to face one another, Gojyo slipped his arms around Hakkai's waist and the slightly shorter man draped his hands over broad shoulders in return. Eager erections came together almost painfully and before claiming an almost bruising kiss, Gojyo commented with a sigh, "Ah, alone at last!" His lover could say nothing in return as they hungrily devoured each other's mouths once more, reveling in the sweet pain of anticipation.

Mere moments would pass before their urgent need for one another would take control at which point fingers would fly over familiar fastenings and soon their garments would find safe homes hanging from convenient branches that would keep them from being dirtied or rumpled by laying on the ground.

A shining monocle would rest atop a pair of headbands that a certain sensualist had laughingly mentioned might make good restraints someday, a remark that caused the brunette to blush since Hakkai had certainly never explored the world of bondage games. A pair of shoes and one of boots would sit patiently awaiting their owners' needs as would a long, pale purple sash that waved lightly in a passing breeze like a silken flag.

Outside of the wonderfully private bower, the sound of a village slowly coming alive after a long, peaceful night could be heard, but it went unnoticed by the two men whose only desire was to give each other the greatest happiness possible. Neither of them was aware that their activities were bringing someone they traveled with a growing sense of baffled discontentment, yet it was just as well since they truly wouldn't have known what to do about it at this point anyway.

Singing birds sailed across a cloudless azure sky far above the tiny verdant paradise occupied by two souls who were about to discover whether or not practice could indeed make perfect that which once went dangerously awry. But if history repeated itself, disaster could be in the making and neither of them was truly prepared for the emotional fallout that would rain down upon them both as a result of it.

*****

To be continued.

Author's Note:

[1] By the way, I should've mentioned this earlier, but since there's virtually nothing in the series to establish dates, I've invoked artistic license and placed timeframes into this continuity as you've already seen. There also seems to be a terribly uniform climate in the Saiyuki world which doesn't include seasons, and I added those, too. Happily weather is as much a tool for Minekura-sensei as it is for myself, so I get off scot-free for playing with meteorology here, right?